Posts [ 19 ]

Topic: Shortness of Breath, Constant Yawning

Has there been any evidence linking Aspartame to my symptoms. I have been drinking a flavored water, with aspartame for years. I drink from 32 - 64 ounces per day. Doctors cannot find any problems but the breathing issue is wearing me down.

Re: Shortness of Breath, Constant Yawning

I believe when aspartame is used and health symptoms begin, it is wise to stop using the aspartame and see if the health symptoms disappear. Then you'll know for sure. Aspartame is a toxin, so it can be the cause to your health symptoms. I would not doubt that possibility. The chlorine in Splenda has been proven to cause breathing problems, so check to see if any of your waters have Splenda.

Re: Shortness of Breath, Constant Yawning

I'm going to go back to good old sugar. Turns out that I also use Splenda in my Coffee and my cereal and for other sweetening needs during the day. I'm going to see if discontinuing my exposure to Aspartame and Splenda help with my issues. Thank you.

Re: Shortness of Breath, Constant Yawning

To MikeyO:

I came upon this site (thanks Dr. J Hull!) from Googling "breathlessness" and following a trail of comments from people in various forums that in many cases, linked their symptom of breathlessness to use of sugar substitutes. When I added Aspartame to breathlessness in the search, Dr Hull's site was the first return. I began reading the site (this was Jan 1, 2010) and started a "detox log" and have found some very interesting correlations over the past 8 months.

First, for months (last year, 2009, up to Jan of this year) I was experiencing extreme breathlessness when I stood. Not every time I stood, but nearly every time. Many times daily to where it was affecting my quality of life. I felt like I could not take a deep enough breath to satiate my lungs and would get lightheaded. After a few moments, it would pass. I am not a smoker, never have been, and am in good health. I read from others that some athletes were having this problem, had gone to doctors, and in MANY cases (not all), the doctors could find no reason for the breathlessness. Some people who had posted to various forums had been living with this for YEARS, and one girl was just 15yrs old!

I had heard Aspartame was bad for you and had no idea I was ingesting any. When my puppy ate a pack of Extra gum, I called the vet to make sure he wasn't in any danger. She quickly asked what sugar substitute the gum used. I read the pack for the first time, and was shocked to see it used Aspartame. (Lucky for the dog though, as Xylitol in Orbit and other gums can kill a dog in very small amounts of just a few sticks, depending on weight!) But I had been chomping on upwards of 10 sticks a day for a few years. Additionally, I drank one or two Diet Rite sodas each day, made with Splenda, and I used Splenda in my daily decaf. coffee.

After reading Dr. Hull's website, I wondered if these sugar subs could really be responsible for the breathlessness. I actually thought it was pure anxiety, as I have been living with my elderly parents and caring for them, and my father has had cancer for the last 5 years. So things have been very stressful.

Nonetheless, last Jan 1st, I stopped chewing gum, stopped drinking soda, and bought PURE Stevia (no added products) to put in my coffee. It took about a month to start noticing a difference. I would still get breathless, but it came less often and was less extreme, except for an occasional strong bout. Then quietly, over the next few months, it went away completely.

By April of this year I was not getting breathless anymore, and spied some Splenda sodas in the garage that were left over from when I stopped. I figured the bouts of breathlessness were probably due to anxiety from my Dad's situation (we had gone through a bad period in 2009 and were in a better lull now), and that if anything maybe the Aspartame was to blame, but probably not the Splenda. So in April I started drinking those sodas, and bought one or two more 12-packs. Lo and behold, by the end of April, the breathlessness was creeping back! By then Mother was having medical problems, and I stopped buying the soda and forgot about it, until I read my detox log later and saw that the breathlessness went away after I stopped drinking the soda again! (Even though stress levels were through the roof.)

So a couple more months go by and it's Jun and my Mother was in the hosp (for a week to get an op) and I didn't want to get sick from spending so much time there, so I bought chewable Vit C to eat 4 or 5 a day, only noticing afterward they were made with Aspartame! Meanwhile I started going to 7-11 for coffee to stay awake, and put Splenda in it, again thinking "can't hurt for a short period of time." Well, guess what? Within a week of drinking the coffee, I stood one night and the breathlessness was back. I stopped the Splenda and Aspartame vitamins (bought some made with sugar) and the breathlessness went away.

So I have to say that in my experience the breathlessness had nothing to do with my stress levels and everything to do with sugar substitutes. And btw, I had no other side effects I am aware of. No gastric problems, etc. But I have seen clearly from this 8-month period that sugar substitutes = breathlessness for me, at least.

Stevia is the exception (not a man-made chemical, but derived from a plant), as I have used it during this 8-month period and it causes no problems. I do not buy any of the corporate products that mix Stevia with other stuff (e. TruVia). I only buy pure Stevia. Unfortunately it is a little bitter compared to sugar, but if you don't want sugar calories or are diabetic, Stevia is safe.

Re: Shortness of Breath, Constant Yawning

PS To MikeyO:

When I use sugar, I use unbleached, organic sugar made from pure cane pulp. It looks brownish but is crystalized like processed sugar. It has a bit of a mollasses flavor to it too, but is probably a lot better for you than white, processed sugar. I saw a documentary once on how white sugar is made, and it's kind of like "the crack" of foods! The chemicals are horrid! Organic sugar is at least more natural.

Re: Shortness of Breath, Constant Yawning

Riannon - thank you for your awesome post. I remain baffled why some people refuse to believe that the diet chemicals are toxic to human health. Granted, they are being "told" that these fake sugars are safe, and that the symptoms they cause are due to "stress", but I think enough people now know from reacting to these chemicals, like you did, that they are indeed at the root of most of their health symptoms. And many docs do not help this situation because they don't get it, either - and there's no excuse for that. Any "scientist or doctor" should get this connection quickly if they know what they are doing.

The natural sugar you are using sounds like either Sucanat or Turbinado - both are great in the sugar bowl, and they are natural sugars - imagine that!? - and better for you to use than anything else. Hum, real sugar. Who thought of that???

Just use less added sugar - that's the way it was intended by nature anyway. One of the best stevia product lines is by NuNaturals. Try some and I think you'll be pleased.

Concerning breathlessness - simply read the research proving the connection between chlorine exposure and breathing problems. People consume enough chlorine from Splenda to fit this bill, no doubt!

Re: Shortness of Breath, Constant Yawning

Dear Dr. Hull,

You are right that people don't believe there is a problem with sugar substitutes b/c they are told they are safe. Imho people trust government institutions blindly (e.g. the FDA) and would be shocked if they knew how fallible and sometimes corrupt these institutions really are. Politics, lobbyists and corporations (read: big money) can get just about anything approved whether it is good for you or not, and big concerns that stand to make large profits can slant scientific studies any way they want, paying respected scientists to take "their view" of the studies in the same way expert witnesses are paid in court to do the same with forensic evidence. Sad!

But even I was shocked at the *extent* of problems associated with sugar substitutes! If I hadn't Googled "breathlessness" and found some references in user forums regarding sugar substitutes (which led me to your site), it never would have occurred to me in a million years that fake sweeteners were causing my problems! And unfortunately, most people think "if it was harmful, it wouldn't be legal." And if the FDA really WAS working for the people 100%, they'd be right! But, they aren't (imo)!

Happily, natural raw sugar is even available at the 7-11 coffee bar and at Starbucks, in packets right next to real sugar and fake sweeteners. For home use I buy the Ralph's organic pure cane raw sugar. The only ingredient listed is evaporated organic pure cane juice.

The Stevia I have is Trader Joe's Organic Pure Stevia powder, but I will try the NuNaturals brand next, as you suggested, as I have read the taste of Stevia varies according to brand. Thanks for the suggestion!!

I want to thank you so much for your site, for all the information here, and for speaking the truth.

Re: Shortness of Breath, Constant Yawning

Dear Dr. Hull,

Is erythritol safe? I bought some Glaceau Vitamin Water Zero -- a zero-calorie naturally sweetened water. The first sweetner listed is Stevia extract (good), then followed with crystalline fructose and erythritol, listed as "(natural sweeteners)". I really only drink water anymore, but once in awhile something with flavor is nice!

Re: Shortness of Breath, Constant Yawning

Dr. Hull,

I have been off Aspertame and Splenda for 3 weeks. My breathing problem has been significantly improved. I would say that I am 95% better. I still occasionally take a quick breath and yawn a little but I am getting better everyday since I stopped flooding my body with Aspertame and Splenda. I am amazed that a product as toxic as Aspertame/Splenda is on the market. I am now a believer that it should be removed from the market. How can we mount a campaign to do so?

I just purchased "truvia" which is labeled as a "Natures Perfect Sweetness". The box says it is made from rebiana, the best tasting part of the stevia leaf. When I got home and read the ingredients it listed "Erythritol, Rebiana, and Natural Flavors". Is truvia okay to use?

Re: Shortness of Breath, Constant Yawning

Riannon - when I first learned the truth about aspartame in the early 1990s, I was also shocked and disappointed to accept the reality that our government allowed this product to be approved and has, to this very day, kept aspartame on the market. The corruption taking over our precious, wonderful government system in America has, sadly, dominated this issue and is a good example that the time is now to make some BIG changes. The corporations and money run our government today, and how to stop that is unknown to any of us at this time. We must never give up shifting the power, though, but that shift will always involve money.

The "misrepresentation" of the damage from the oil spill in the Gulf is a prime example of the manipulation of the masses. The "powers that be" are making it public that everything is fine now that the leak is stopped. It is far from fine, but people are now forgetting about the "leak." The government banned the media from showing pictures of the wildlife (pelicans, dolphins, turtles, etc) covered in oil, suffering and dying. Have you noticed any wildlife on the news? We are being manipulated in many ways other than aspartame dangers, but as enough people begin figuring this out for themselves , the day draws near when this corruption will be exposed and ended.

If you can avoid adding any extra sweeteners to your food and drink, then that's the best thing to do. Stevia is a good choice, but try weaning from all sugars, and this is the best solution. Erythritol is OK - it is a natural fruit sugar but when taken out of the fruit and placed in a paper packet , it is not all-natural. It can cause stomach issues when used too much, too. So, just try not to use anything if you can.

Re: Shortness of Breath, Constant Yawning

MikeyO - you have restored your health quickly. I am proud of your success. I personally do not recommend Truvia because it is a lesser quality stevia product. Cargill is a big corp, so they put profits above quality, in my opinion. Truvia is a little stevia and a lot of the other ingredients. Buy NuNaturals brand at Whole Foods or on-line. That is a quality stevia product.

Re: Shortness of Breath, Constant Yawning

Dear Dr. Hull,

Amen to the manipulation of the masses, seen in examples like the recent oil spill (sickening!!) and yes, in our food products with things like fake sweeteners and even DOG FOOD!! The FDA claims all ingredients in commercial dog food are healthy and safe, when the "by-products" listed in most foods contains contaminated, diseased flesh, cancerous tumors, sawdust from slaughterhouse floors, ground up euthanized pets (still containing the chemicals that killed them), metal cow tags, and a myriad of other horrors. Then people wonder why dogs have been getting cancer and "people" diseases over the past 20 years... oddly, ever since corp's discovered they didn't have to throw away these things, but could SELL this crap to renderers who in turn sell the rendered product to manufacturers of dog food as filler! But watch a commercial on these foods and they talk about being "scientifically" balanced, etc to lengthen the life of the pet! There is no such thing as dog food! Only FOOD. Our grandparents (I'm 53) fed their dogs what they ate -- there was no such thing as "dog food" -- and that's finally what people are returning to as they discover how bad commercial "dog" food is! But you wouldn't guess it by reading the FDA's webpage about how dog food is regulated!!

Unfortunately, whether the kind of deception we see in mitigating and marginalizing the wildlife toll from the oil spill; or the financially-motivated assurances of safety for dangerous foods like man-made chemical sweeteners and rendered by-products in "pet foods," it takes YEARS of ill-effects and suffering before the masses finally realize the truth, and a grass roots movement finally pushes for change. And even then, those speaking out are normally shouted down and vilified by concerned parties interested in maintaining the lie and status quo for purposes of profit. Whether it is a war they are selling, Splenda, or dog food. It is very aggravating! Another reason I hail you for your site!!

Re: Shortness of Breath, Constant Yawning

FTR, I was in Ralph's yesterday and noticed they started carrying Stevia "In The Raw" -- made by the same company that makes "In The Raw" natural sugar. Since it was handy I bought a box of 50 packets for $3.50 (or so). It tastes VERY GOOD and has no after taste. It is mixed with dextrose, while the larger bags for cooking are mixed with maltodextrin, just like NuNaturals. (The only thing I wish is that the Stevia was organic, but it's not in NuNaturals either, from what I read.)

(Won't be buying the Zero water anymore, as I didn't realize it is sweetened with TruVia, and I won't support TruVia or PurVia.)

Re: Shortness of Breath, Constant Yawning

Thank you, Dr. Hull! I couldn't figure out what was wrong with me. When I was a teenager, I was diagnosed with low blood sugar and basically was told to watch what I eat. I pretty much eat healthier than anyone I know and then all of a sudden, I can't figure out what happened to me. I felt like I was in a tunnel and everyone and everything was outside the tunnel. It didn't occur to me...until now what happened. A few days ago, I met my parents at a restaurant and must have drank 4-5 glasses of water. I couldn't get enough water. The next day I still couldn't get enough water but Iwas starting to feel better. That was yesterday. Today, I had a couple of my drink packets in my water and I feel sooooo bad. My mom suggested to lookup the side effects of Aspartame. These are all of my symptoms! My vision, confusion, tingling in my hands, my hair feels like it has bugs, feel like I have to yawn all of the time, and I could keep going. Everything listed is my problem. Why is this still being put in food and drinks? I am very angry! This could be why so many Americans are overweight and kids have A.D.D. I am taking anti-depressants because of this.

I will definitely take this to the next level! Why don't we just go ahead and put insecticide in our food and drinks? I wonder if the people that are allowing this to happen eat/drink products with Aspartame in them?

Re: Shortness of Breath, Constant Yawning

Wow I just discovered this site after doing some research last night!

I started getting these symptoms about a month ago, shortness of breath & wanting to yawn/deep sigh constantly, I think I also was getting panic attacks/hyperventilation as I thought I was suffocating so that added to it. Im 43 and dont drink/smoke or do drugs. Not super healthy prob 13ibs over weight but other than that no health issues.This came out of the blue and I went to the doctor, he could find nothing physically wrong with me, except a slight kidney abnormality he couldn't explain (I'll get back to that) and high Potassium. He gave me some kind of Xanax tablets which I have not taken (after reading up on the side effects..ugh) and trying to control my symptoms by relaxation & deep breathing..it helps but the symptoms persist.On searching more I discovered the link between Aspartame and SOB, so where have I been getting a large quantitie of Aspartame from? I switched to drinking 'Crystalite-Iced Tea' about a year ago, thinking it would be healthier than Coke which I was almost addicted to and trying to lose weight it wasn't helping..so I have been having 2-5 cups of this iced tea which has Aspartame in it every day for a year or so! Its also high in Potassium which was noted as high in my blood test, along with the weird kidney abnormality and the SOB? Thats 3 counts which are high con-incidences. Needless to say I threw out my Crystalite tea and hope this will clear up this condition because its starting to ruin my life & confidence to go anywhere for fear of a breathing attack.

Re: Shortness of Breath, Constant Yawning

Riannon, wildone_106, and Vickie Bee - all three of you confirm that enough people are catching on to this now that we are getting closer to exposing this terrible deception. I am still amazed that the corps have kept aspartame on the market this long (and gov officials, too). This toxin was proven unsafe for public consumption back in the 1960s. They tried twice before it was actually FDA approved, and slowly but surely, they got it deeper and deeper into the market. It is a shambles when you look back at aspartame's history. It's is truly amazing this "diet sweetener" has been allowed to dominate our foods for so long. But, with people like each of you figuring this out, it surely cannot stand up much longer.

The thing that really gets me is the fact that they know how dangerous aspartame is, so when will the lawsuits start? I would hope any day now, and once they start, well, can you imagine how many people are going to come front and center? It's going to blow wide open.

Telling people it was perfectly safe when they knew it wasn't from the start is the biggest crime. Someone is going to be in big trouble - now who will they pick to be their fall guy??? Rumsfeld is long gone - out of the country, I think.

Re: Shortness of Breath, Constant Yawning

Here, here. I am slayed at how long they have gotten by with this charade. There is no doubt aspartame is nasty - when someone figures this out, they look at you like you were from Mars or something. This is easy to put together - they just keep the lie going, and going, and going.

Re: Shortness of Breath, Constant Yawning

Well here I am, 2 years later and not cured. I stopped taking Aspartame a long time ago, but still suffer from 'Air Hunger' and tonight again, my breathing is staggered-keep wanting to yawn, cant sleep. Im in despair..

Re: Shortness of Breath, Constant Yawning

hi I am also a victim of aspartame poison, I had almost every symptoms and let me tell you that even after two years off this stuff that I ingested for 10 years plus , im very slowing getting better! it caused my throid problems which I could not get to normal ranges but I am happy to report my thyroid is normal now as well as my sugar levels are normal and the list goes on!but I am almost feel completely normal except with some symptoms of depression which is also 90% better too!!!and hoping by the summer I will be off all my meds for that which now I only take one pill now!!! there is a major crisis now of mental health and people don't understand whats happening, which I do know now it all has to do with toxins we in ingesting through our food!! hope you feel better soon and take care!

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